The Nagaland Police on Friday, 17 July announced a cash reward of ₹50,000 for credible information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for the IED blast in Chumoukedima district that killed an Assam Rifles Havildar and critically injured four other personnel on 13 July. The announcement came four days after the attack, as the Dimapur Police Commissionerate intensified its investigation into what officials have described as a 'heinous terrorist act'.

What the Reward Covers

Commissioner of Police Aotula T. Imchen issued a public notice stating that the reward applies to a broad range of actionable intelligence. This includes information leading to the identification or arrest of perpetrators or their associates, details on those involved in 'planning, financing, harbouring, transporting or facilitating the offence', recovery of explosives, weapons, communication devices, or vehicles connected to the case, and the discovery of any hideout, safe house, or logistical support network linked to the offenders.

Members of the public have been urged to share information — 'however insignificant it may appear' — through notified WhatsApp numbers. The Police Commissioner assured that the identity of every informant would be kept strictly confidential and protected under law, with the option to report anonymously.

'The reward shall be granted after verification that the information materially contributed to the detection of the case, recovery of evidence, or apprehension of the offenders, subject to approval by the competent authority,' Imchen said.

The 13 July Attack: What Happened

A powerful IED detonated on 13 July after striking a vehicle in an Assam Rifles convoy near Sukhovi in Chumoukedima district, close to the Assam Rifles Training Centre. Havildar Mohammad Iqbal of the 28 Assam Rifles Battalion, who hailed from Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, was killed in the blast. Four other Assam Rifles personnel sustained serious injuries. A civilian was also struck on the leg by flying debris, and an auto-rickshaw parked nearby was extensively damaged.

NSCN-IM Condemns Attack, Distances Itself

The National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), the dominant Naga insurgent group, strongly condemned the blast near Sukhovi, calling it a 'cowardly terrorist act' aimed at disrupting peace in the region. In a statement, the organisation said the use of IEDs and anti-personnel mines 'could not be justified', warning that such attacks endanger civilian lives, spread fear, and undermine the peace that people of the region have worked hard to preserve.

Distancing itself from the attack, the NSCN-IM said it would seek to establish the facts and identify those responsible. It also urged the public not to speculate and appealed for cooperation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Broader Pattern of Violence in the Northeast

The Chumoukedima blast occurred just eight days after two Assam Rifles personnel were killed in a separate ambush on 6 July, when suspected Naga armed militants targeted an Assam Rifles vehicle at Nungshang Kong along the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2) in Ukhrul district, Manipur. The two personnel killed in that attack were Warrant Officer Balwant Singh and Havildar Chandra Mohan Singh.

That ambush triggered widespread condemnation, and massive joint operations by Central and Manipur security forces are continuing to trace those responsible. The NSCN-IM had also denied involvement in the Manipur ambush, stating it 'was neither involved in nor had prior knowledge of the incident' and reaffirming its commitment to the ceasefire agreement and the ongoing Indo-Naga peace process.

The two attacks within eight days mark a sharp escalation in violence against Assam Rifles personnel in the Northeast, raising urgent questions about intelligence gaps and the durability of the peace framework in the region.